An engine-powered brush cutter for cutting or trimming hedges and the like is well-known. Such a conventional brush cutter includes: an engine; a shaft having a rear end provided with the engine; and a rotary cutting blade provided at a front end of the shaft. An operator can move the cutting blade to a desired position, while holding the shaft of the brush cutter. Generally, such structure is effective in performing cutting work for the operator even if a relatively heavy engine is employed as a power source for the brush cutter.
In the brush cutter, a fuel tank is also provided below the engine at the rear end of the shaft for storing fuel for the engine. In general, the fuel tank and its tank cap are provided below the engine in order to prevent fuel from adhering to an ignition plug provided in the engine or wirings connected to the ignition plug.
Such fuel tank may be made of a translucent resin material, so that the operator can visually confirm a remaining amount of fuel in the fuel tank (an oil level). However, the fuel tank made of a translucent and oil-resistant lightweight plastic material is relatively weak in terms of mechanical strength.
Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-197770 discloses a brush cutter 310 whose rear end portion (drive section 330) is provided with an engine 340, a fuel tank 360 and a protective cover (stand) 350 for covering a lower portion of the fuel tank 360. The protective cover 350 is fixed to the engine 340 and the fuel tank 360 by a plurality of bolts. The protective cover 350 is made of a resin material and is designed to support the brush cutter 310 when the brush cutter 310 is placed on the ground.
When the brush cutter 310 is placed on the ground as illustrated in FIG. 8A, an antiscattering cover 314 (near a cutting blade 311) and the protective cover 350 are in contact with the ground. The protective cover 350 covers the lower portion of the fuel tank 360 in the front-rear direction and a starter 341 provided rearward of the fuel tank 360. Thus, when the brush cutter 310 is placed on the ground, the protective cover 350 can be brought into contact with the ground, thereby supporting the brush cutter 310 placed on the ground, preventing contact of the fuel tank 360 against the ground, and protecting the starter 341. In this brush cutter 310, if the area covered by the protective cover 350 is enlarged and a thickness of the protective cover 350 is increased, the protective cover 350 may provide enhanced protective performance over the fuel tank 360 and reliable support to the brush cutter 310.
FIG. 8C shows a stand 450 as an alternative to the protective cover (stand) 350 for supporting a rear end portion (drive section 430) of the brush cutter 310. The stand 450 has a simpler configuration than the protective cover (stand) 350. The stand 450 extends downward from a front end portion of the engine 340 and has a distal end positioned lower than the fuel tank 360. Since the stand 450 does not cover the lower portion of the fuel tank 360, the stand 450 provides a reduced protective performance when compared to the protective cover 350. However, the stand 450 having such simple structure can still provide mechanical support to the brush cutter 310, with a smaller weight than the protective cover (stand) 350.